This project is situated in Xiaya, Kyoto, Japan, on the west bank of the Yaskawa River, offering views of Mt. Hiei to the east. The surrounding neighborhood is a diverse mix, featuring traditional townhouses alongside spacious mansions enclosed by walls and hedges. Recently, increasing demand for efficient land use has driven the redevelopment of three-story buildings in the area. The design intent is to respond to these high land-use requirements while renewing a landscape rich in history.
The architect was inspired by the local residential landscape, where roofs of varying ages and sizes overlap, blending naturally with the mountainous backdrop. This creates an environment where row houses, mansions, and modern buildings coexist harmoniously.
To reflect this, the architects sought a design approach that emphasizes the overlapping roofscape, not as a single monolithic structure, but as a collection of many smaller roofs. This division helps mitigate the increased volume required by high-density land use, allowing the building to blend seamlessly into the local townscape. Each roof also shelters a unique space beneath it, fostering relationships between the different volumes.
The private residence’s first floor includes a tea room, a children’s room, and a “doma,” a brick-paved area where people can wear shoes indoors. Each roof faces the street, creating a distinct profile. The tea room connects to a terrace on the second floor, while the children’s room and doma open respectively to the dining room and terrace. The dining room, living room, and terraces across the second and third floors, along with an observation room at the top, are all interconnected under the overlapping roofs. This design encourages natural light and airflow, enhancing ventilation. The living room space can be used either as a single open area or divided into separate zones.
This interplay of functional spaces beneath overlapping roofs creates dynamic interactions, merging and overlapping to form a private residence with versatile living scenarios and a comfortable spatial relationship.
Project Drawings
△ Site Plan
△ Floor Plan
△ Section Perspective
△ Section Perspective
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Exploded Axonometric Diagram
Project Information
Architectural Design: Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates
Area: 206.206 square meters
Year: 2021
Photographer: Toshiyuki Yano
Manufacturer: Worldfrontier
Lead Architects: Yutaka Hata, Misato Takagi
Structural Engineering: Takashi Manda Structural Design – Takashi Manda, Taijiro Kato (former staff)
General Contractor: Arthome Co., Ltd – Takahisa Kato, Masato Hayashi (consultant), Shigeo Niwa
Landscape Design: Sone Zoe Co., Ltd – Ayako Sone, Seiji Sogabe
Landscape Architect: Sone Zoe Co., Ltd
Location: Kyoto, Japan
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